32 Older People Are Sharing The Issues They Face That Aren’t Talked About Enough

12.

“There’s an invisible group everyone ignores: senior women experiencing homelessness. They live in their cars and vans, camping on BLM land or wherever they can. Many travel together for safety. They can’t afford rent or to keep their home. People make snide remarks like, ‘It’s your fault. You should have saved for retirement.’ But my generation didn’t earn what our husbands did, so our Social Security benefits are much lower. The savings we thought would be enough have been decimated by inflation. One health or home crisis will wipe out our savings and investments. That often coincides with the loss of a spouse.”

“I’m not there yet, but probably will be. If my husband passes first, I lose his VA disability. They capped him at 90% even though multiple VA doctors documented his Vietnam injuries at 100%. He currently has excellent care, and for that I’m thankful. I have Part B. When I go to the doctor, they get upset because I don’t have supplemental insurance, and the staff doesn’t mind humiliating me in public.”

—officialpunk9933